Territort



(No Model.)

P. L. JOY. I

BOPPER BOTTOM FREIGHT GAR.

No. 380,287. Patented Mar. 27, 1888,

ja. WWW/11111111114 fig. "7 J UNITED STATES PATENT Oriana.

FRANK L. JOY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO XVILLIAM S. HAY, OF HURON, DAKOTA TERRITORY.

HOPPER-BOTTOM FREIGHT-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,287, dated March 2'7, 1888.

Application filed Srptember 14. 1887. Serial No. 249,607. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK L. JoY, of Ohicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Hopper-Bottom Freight- Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, that will enable others to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates more especially to improvements in that class of cars used in the transportation of grain and other merchandise in bulk 5 and the same consists of certain novel featuresin the construction,whereby grain may be loaded into the car through the top and discharged therefrom through a hopper-bottom, thus greatly facilitating the handling and shipping of grain by rail. The construction is also of such a character as to readily and conveniently permit of the structure being convertedfrom a hopper-bottom grain-car into a flat-bottomed car and used for the transport-ation of miscellaneous freight.

Figure 1 is a side elevation and partial section ofa car embodying my improved features, a portion being broken away, showing the opposite interior side. Fig. 2 is a transverse section in the plane 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a perspective of the interior hopperbottom; Fig. 4, a detached View of the means employed to control the discharge of the grain through the hopper-bottom, and Fig. 5 a sectional detail of the same.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a freight-car structure provided with the hopper-bottom B, the openings 0 in the top or roof, and the removable covers G, for closing the same. In the present structure the converging or sloping sides forming the discharging-hopper do not extend the full length of the car, but occupy the whole width from side to side in the center, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the dimensions of the hopper being about equal on all sides.

On the inner side of the car and at each side of the hopper is located the inside auxiliary doors, D D, which are divided horizontally near the center, forming the upper and lower 50 parts, a a, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The

upper half, a, is adjustahly retained in position by means of the cords a, )laced at each end and running over the pulleysheaves a as shown in Fig. 1. These cords are provided with the counter-weights 41*, as indicated by the dotted lines. This mode of securing the upper half of the inside doors permits of the same being turned upward against the roof,

as indicated by dotted lines a Fig. 2, or made to slide down and rest with the lower edge on the bottom of the car, as shown on the left side of Fig. 2, the lower companion half, a, of the door being at the same time turned down to cover the hopper and form a level floor for the car when the same is to be used for the transportation of such merchandise as cannot be discharged through the hopper-bottom.

When the car is to be used for grain, the two parts of each door are securely locked together in a vertical plane by means of the fastening a, thus forming atight inside lining for the usual outside doors. By this arrangement the two lower parts of the auxiliary door, on each side of the car, are made to turn inward and downward, being hinged to the car, and form a flat bottom covering the hopper.

When the character of the merchandise is such that it is desirable to have the car-door partially open, the upper half of the auxiliary door may he slid down, leaving an opening above for ventilation or other purposes.

If the car is to be used for shipping grain, the auxiliary doors are secured in the position shown in Fig. 1 and on the left side of Fig. 2.

The top or roof of the car is provided with a number of openings O, through which grain may be loaded into the car. These openings are closed by means of the covers G, which may be hinged or otherwise secured in place, so as to give convenient access to the interior go. of the car from this point.

The hopper-bottom is provided with the central opening, D, the discharge-spout b being a continuation of the same, and which is secured to the under side of the frame E, attached to the hopper-bottom. The adjustable slide F, moving horizontally in guide-grooves in the frame E, is provided with the opening d, corresponding to the central opening in the hopper-bottom. One end of the horizontal 10o lever G is pivoted to the outer end of the slide F, (see Fig. 4,) while the opposite end is secured to the operating vertical lever H. The lever G is provided with a fulcrum bearing on the lower end of the downwardly-projecting post d, (shown in Fig. 1,) and by dotted lines, indicating the relative position of the same,in Fig. 4. Moving the operating-lever in one direction has the effect of causing the openings in the hopper and slide to coincide for the purpose of discharging the freight, while moving it in the opposite direction closes the same.

The frame F, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is provided with a number of rollers at for the frictional contact of the slide F, in order to ease the movement of the same.

As shown in Fig. 2, the end or ends of the car maybe provided with a door or doors similarly arranged as -the grain-doors on the sides. This feature is for the purpose of facilitating the handling and shipment of lumber and freight of this character.

Having thus described my invention, what I. claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a freight-car, the combination, with a' hopper located in the bottom, of the auxiliary inside doors, D D, consisting of the upper half, a, and the lower half, a, said lower half 'ter-weights a, whereby the upper half of said 0 door is adapted to be turned upward or slid downward, as may be required, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Ina freight-car the roof structurewhereof is provided with anumber of openings, said openings having suitable covers, in combination with a hopper-bottom, as described, a central discharge-spout, the frame E, the slide F, and the means set forth for operating said slide, whereby merchandisesnch as grain- 0 may be loaded into the car in bulk through the top and discharged from the hopper-bottom in the same manner, as set, forth.

FRANK L. JOY.

\Vitnesses:

L. M. FREEMAN, L. B. COUPLAND. 

